Energy, Environment, and Society

Photo of teaching assistant Dan Wesolowski discussing wind direction and velocity with student Richard Bates. They, together with the other members of Team Wind, put equipment on roofs around MIT to determine the viability of using wind turbines to generate power. Behind them is MIT's co-generation plant. (Image courtesy of Donna Coveney, MIT News Office. Used with permission.)

Course Features

Course Description

"Energy, Environment and Society" is an opportunity for first-year students to make direct contributions to energy innovations at MIT and in local communities. The class takes a project-based approach, bringing student teams together to conduct studies that will help MIT, Cambridge and Boston to make tangible improvements in their energy management systems. Students will develop a thorough understanding of energy systems and their major components through guest lectures by researchers from across MIT and will apply that knowledge in their projects. Students are involved in all aspects of project design, from the refinement of research questions to data collection and analysis, conclusion drawing and presentation of findings. Each student team will work closely with experts including local stakeholders as well as leading technology companies throughout the development and implementation of their projects. Projects in this course center on renewable energy and energy efficiency.

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